If you have recently lost one of your teeth, you understand the frustration of adjusting to your new bite. Not only does a missing tooth take a toll on your appearance, but your ability to enjoy everyday activities also suffers. You can find yourself avoiding favorite foods that could harm your open socket. Because we rely on our teeth to articulate our speech, your voice may sound different. These changes can have a serious effect on your confidence or make you feel reluctant to engage with others socially. Without a replacement tooth, your remaining teeth can begin drifting toward the open area, causing more misalignment with your bite. Certain teeth take disproportionate force from your bite, so their outer layer can quickly erode. This can lead to an increased risk of cavities and gum disease. To protect yourself from complications, a prosthetic tooth can restore your bite and return the beauty of your smile.
At your Ankeny, IA dental office, we offer restorative dental services for patients with missing teeth. When you visit our practice, we can evaluate the health of your smile and determine if you are a candidate for dental implants. This desirable treatment provides the unique benefit of permanently securing inside your jawbone to offer durable support for your bite. By learning about the ongoing complications of tooth loss, you will understand why it is so important to seek out care.
How Patients Typically Lose Teeth
We see patients lose teeth from sports injuries, accidents, and severe cases of tooth decay. We may also suggest extracting a tooth when root canal therapy fails to fully remove the entirety of a bacterial infection. The most common reason for missing teeth though, is the result of untreated gum disease. When oral bacteria infect your gingival tissues, they can reach the jawbone and begin dissolving the connection between gum and jaw alike. As you lose this connective tissue, your teeth become unstable and may need to be pulled. For this reason, we must get any existing gum disease under control before being able to place a dental implant.
Placing Your New Tooth
We can insert a titanium post directly into your jawbone when it is dense enough to hold a prosthetic post. The biocompatible nature of your implant allows your oral tissues to fuse with it, securing it in your smile for years to come. When you finish healing from the procedure, we attach a device called an abutment above your gumline that can hold a dental crown.
Speak With Your Ankeny, IA Dentist About Replacing Your Missing Teeth!
To restore your quality of life after losing a tooth, consider the benefits of an implant tooth! To find out more about this service or any other we offer, schedule an appointment with your Ankeny, IA dentist at (515) 207-6182.
